Microscopic Polyangiitis
In 1923, Friedrich Wohlwill described two patients with a “microscopic form of periarteritis nodosa,” which was distinct from the classical form. This disease, now known as microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), is…
Clinical Manifestations and Treatment of Wegener’s Granulomatosis
Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG) is characterized by granulomatous lesions and vasculitic disease manifestations. Granulomatous lesions are found in the upper and lower respiratory tract (eg, granulomatous sinusitis, orbital masses, and pulmonary…
Diagnostic Approach to ANCA-associated Vasculitides
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV) include Wegener’s granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, and Churg-Strauss syndrome. Given their rarity, protean clinical manifestations, imperfect diagnostic tests, and wide differential diagnosis, they pose a diagnostic…
Autoantibodies in ANCA-associated Vasculitis
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides are systemic or more limited conditions characterized by necrotizing destruction of small and medium-sized vessels (eg, capillaries, venules, and arterioles). ANCAs are the most predominant…
Pathogenesis of ANCA-associated Vasculitis
Antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) comprises a group of systemic inflammatory vasculitides associated with circulating autoantibodies directed against the neutrophil granule components proteinase 3 and myeloperoxidase. ANCA interact with…
Epidemiology of ANCA-associated Vasculitis
The epidemiology of the antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV), comprising Wegener’s granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, and Churg-Strauss syndrome, poses considerable challenges to epidemiologists. These challenges include the difficulty of defining…
The History of ANCA-associated Vasculitis
An essential early step toward understanding vasculitis was recognition in 1948 of the differences between the small artery disease of polyarteritis, essentially sparing the glomerulus and lungs, and disease of…
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Rheumatoid Arthritis
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system is a powerful neuroendocrine control mechanism involved in many core body functions including metabolic and energy homeostasis. The HPA axis has been considered an important immune…
Rheumatologic Manifestations of Pregnancy
Pregnancy, whether normal or complicated, induces change in nearly every system of the body. Because most rheumatologic disorders are multisystemic and often affect young women, it may be difficult to…
Arthropathy in Acromegaly
Articular involvement in acromegaly is one of the most frequent clinical complications and may be present as the earliest symptom in a significant proportion of patients. The involvement of other…
